Measuring policy effects: online participation on the municipal level

Abstract

Do citizens' decisions, which are discussed and co-ordinated a priori on online participation platforms, have any policy effects? The article addresses this question in an exploratory study. Taking theoretical concepts of participation and policy effects into account, LiquidFeedback platforms are investigated in four municipalities in Lower Saxony (Germany). A total of 80 cases—i.e., successful citizens’ initiatives that were afterwards considered by local city or district councils—are included in a content analysis. Results show that crucial policies are less often translated into binding policy decisions than other policies. Even though citizens’ decisions can have binding policy effects, large-scale projects, in particular, show rather diffuse policy effects. However, diffuse policy effects are hardly transparent for citizens and could, accordingly, inhibit the willingness to participate altogether.

Main directions for improving public administration mechanisms in Ukraine

“…Some of the new approaches used by governments for digital transformation include providing e-government as a platform, integrating online and offline multichannel delivery, flexibly developing digital services, expanding e-participation and partnerships, adopting information approaches, and strengthening digital capacity to deliver services. people-centered, and innovative use of new technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain, especially in developing smart cities (Schwanholz et al, 2021).…”

“…Egovernment can provide services and interaction opportunities directly to people in remote or excluded communities, giving them access at home or through digital kiosks in villages (Sterrenberg, 2017). E-government is not just about delivering services; it also plays a role in fostering digital literacy, digital inclusion, digital connectivity, and digital identity (Lindgren et al, 2019;Ranerup and Henriksen, 2019;Schwanholz et al, 2021).…”